ArticleJournal of human kinetics2013
Cardiovascular responses, perceived exertion and technical actions during small-sided recreational soccer: effects of pitch size and number of players.
Article in Journal of human kinetics, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 69 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of Small-Sided Soccer Games on Physical Fitness, Physiological Responses, and Health Indices in Untrained Individuals and Clinical Populations: A Systematic Review.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2020Pooled it
- Comparative Effects Of 1V1 Vs 3V3 Small-Sided Basketball Training On Body Anthropometric-Related Outcomes And Physical Fitness In Sedentary Female College Students: An 8-Week Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of sports science & medicine · 2026Trial
- Optimizing the number of players and training bout durations in soccer small-sided games: Effects on mood balance and technical performance.European journal of sport science · 2025Trial
- Comparing The Effects of Small-Sided and Medium-Sided Soccer Games on Physical Fitness Adaptations in Untrained Men: A Randomized Controlled Study.Journal of sports science & medicine · 2025Trial
- Normative Data for Physical Activity and Heart Rate Metrics of Recreational Football Among the General Male Population-The Football Cooperative Initiative.Journal of strength and conditioning research · 2026Article
- Physiological determinants of heart rate responses and bout-to-bout stability during 2v2 and 4v4 small-sided games in football players.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Effects of Eight-Week Game-Based High-Intensity Interval Training Performed on Different Pitch Dimensions on the Level of Physical Capacity and Time-Motion Responses in Youth Soccer Players.Journal of human kinetics · 2025Article
- The effect of relative pitch size on physiological, physical, technical and tactical variables in small-sided games: a literature review and practical guide.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2025Review
- Comparison of the physiological responses and time-motion characteristics during football small-sided games: effect of pressure on the ball.Frontiers in physiology · 2023Article
- The decision-making in dribbling: a video analysis study of U10 soccer players' skills and coaches' quality evaluation.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Article
- Effects of pitch size on soccer players' physiological, physical, technical, and tactical responses during small-sided games: a meta-analytical comparison.Biology of sport · 2023Review
- Comparison of the Physical, Physiological, and Psychological Responses of the High-Intensity Interval (HIIT) and Small-Sided Games (SSG) Training Programs in Young Elite Soccer Players.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Small-sided games in amateur players: rule modification with mini-goals to induce lower external load responses.Biology of sport · 2022Article
- Small-Sided Soccer Games with Larger Relative Areas Result in Higher Physical and Physiological Responses: a Systematic and Meta-Analytical Review.Journal of human kinetics · 2022Article
- Game format alters the physiological and activity demands encountered during small-sided football games in recreational players.Journal of exercise science and fitness · 2021Article
- The effect of bio-banding on academy soccer player passing networks: Implications of relative pitch size.PloS one · 2021Article
- Global Positioning System Analysis of Physical Demands in Small and Large-Sided Games with Floaters and Official Matches in the Process of Return to Play in High Level Soccer Players.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020Article
- Small-Sided Games are More Enjoyable Than High-Intensity Interval Training of Similar Exercise Intensity in Soccer.Open access journal of sports medicine · 2020Article
- Variability of Technical Actions During Small-Sided Games in Young Soccer Players.Journal of human kinetics · 2019Article
- Blood pressure, heart rate and perceived enjoyment after small-sided soccer games and repeated sprint in untrained healthy adolescents.Biology of sport · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the cardiovascular, perceived exertion and technical effects of altering pitch size and number of players in recreational soccer match-play. The further aim was to evaluate to what extent exercise intensity during various game formats corresponds to the recommended intensity level for cardiovascular fitness improvement. Ten male recreational players aged 31.7±7.6 years (mean ± SD) completed four variations of small-sided games (except for goalkeepers, 5-a-side and 7-a-side on small and large pitches) during which heart rate, perceived exertion and technical actions were evaluated. Two-way analysis of variance on repeated measures was applied to collected data. The results indicated that an average workload expressed as heart rate and percentage of heart rate reserve during 5-a-side games was higher than for 7-a-side games. The rate of perceived exertion values were moderate and similar for all formats of games. The players performed more dribbling and successful passes, but fewer unsuccessful passes during 5-a-side games. Furthermore, the number of ball possessions and unsuccessful passes was higher on a small pitch than on a large one. Consequently, the current findings suggest that, independent of pitch size, the cardiovascular demands imposed on participants increase when the game is played with fewer players. However, all formats of recreational soccer can be used as an effective activity to promote cardiovascular fitness. Finally, participants may have more chance to perform basic technical actions during 5-a-side games on small and large pitches.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.